WILL PUBLIC EDUCATION SURVIVE?: Part 3 and Part 4 (4 Part Series)

Click on Segment Links Below to watch online

Los Angeles, CA Full Disclosure Network presents Part three and four of the complete series covering the future of Public Education consisting of four half hour shows each with three segments. Here is an insiders view of Public Education featuring long-time Los Angeles Unified School District School Board Member David Tokofsky, who is a teacher and who presided over some of the most tumultuous and challenging years in the nations second largest school District. Presented here are six segments from Part 3 and Part 4 of the series on Streaming Video available here 24/7 and are featured on 47 cable systems in California, Washington D.C. and Massachusetts.

SEGMENT SEVEN: Politics, Power & Influence
(8 min)
According to David Tokofsky, Politics and education are inseparable. “Politics is the influence of other peoples behavior”. The Milken Institute estimates K-12 education in the United States is worth $250 billion. Billionaires Eli Broad, Bill Gates and Michael Milken are involved in Education and School Board governance, accelerating the struggle over power and control, efficiency, productivity, curriculum and instruction.

SEGMENT EIGHT:. “Belmont the Billion Dollar School”
(8 min)
David Tokofsky was a primary critic of LAUSD Belmont Learning Center, he describes how the school was not built to code with no accountability, no arbitration or litigation and acknowledges the same contractors have been rehired to build 170 new schools. Explains why Belmont was not funded by GO Bonds funds and struggles to explain how the District paid for books, desks, teachers and personnel after his parcel tax proposal did not fly.

SEGMENT NINE: “ District Flush With Billions in Bond Money”
(8 min)
David Tokofsky describes the LAUSD attitude toward the $20 billion school construction project as being “Afflicted with Comfort” and asked if the District is being ripped off by unscrupulous contractors once again. He describes the struggle within the District as to who will control the Office of Ethics. The Board has apparently decided the Ethics Office should be located in the Office General Counsel instead of the Office of Inspector General, opting to “build a culture of ethics” rather investigations.

SEGMENT TEN: “ What Is The Primary Mission of Public Education?”
(8 min)
According to Tokofsky, the Public Schools are providing much more than just education. Feeding children breakfast, lunch, counseling, health care, police protection. And, School Construction Program has been billed as an “Economic Stimulus” package to provide jobs, plus LAUSD owes billions for unfunded retirement benefits for teachers. He complains that schools are asked to do more that just educate, without funding.

SEGMENT ELEVEN “ Illegal Immigration Impacts Education”
(8 min)
For years the LAUSD has struggled with Immigrant Rights issues and student boycotts to demonstrate on such issues as their illegal immigration status. Tokofskysays students need to learn in class how to participate in the process and he points to the need to address other issues besides “status” there is the adult education issue.

SEGMENT TWELVE “What Is the Greatest Challenge to Public Education?”
(8 min)
Tokofsky feels that Term Limits should be changed to a rotation of office, that the Board Staff has marginalized the effectiveness of the Board Members. And, he points to “At Large” Districts that limit the scope of Members and result in “unintended consequences” (dilution of power). He feels his greatest accomplishment was instituting Full Day Kindergarten classes and laments that the City Developer Fees are not paid to the District.

IS L. A. SOFT ON CRIMINAL ALIEN GANGS? Internet Preview (10 min) on Jamiel's Law & the Shaw Family

Los Angeles, CA On March 8, 2008 an 18th Street gang member shot and killed 17 year old Jamiel Shaw, II, a popular high school football star just three doors from his home. The news that the accused killer, Pedro Espinosa, was an illegal alien who had been released from L. A. County jail, after serving only four months on assault and weapons charges, outraged the Shaw family and sent shock waves throughout the community.

WATCH ON L.A. CABLE CHANNEL 36
Or live on Internet at www.la36.org/
Sunday, June 15th 8-9 p.m. (Part 1 & 2)
Monday, June 16th 4-5 p.m. (Part 1 & 2)
Check here for other cable channels & airtimes

In a Full Disclosure Network® special series, Jamiel Shaw, Sr. and U.S. Army Sgt. Anita Shaw, parents of the murder victim, describe the circumstances of the cold blooded shooting in their neighborhood. Watch preview here They also reveal the unusual and unexpected reactions from elected officials and law enforcement following their endorsement of a new law (Jamiel’s Law) to change the lenient city policy that prohibits police officers from enforcing immigration law or verifying immigration status of gang members.

Some of the developments described by the Shaws are:

• The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office pressured the Shaw’s to stop criticizing the City’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” immigration policy known as LAPD’s Special Order 40.
• Los Angeles City Council members attempted to silence Shaw family members from speaking before the Council and urged them to drop their opposition to Special Order 40.
• Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee informed the Shaws that the D.A.’s office was prepared to claim the murder was gang related and in order to do so the D.A. would contend that their son was a gang member.
• The Shaws detail their outrage regarding the Deputy District Attorney’s stated intentions to tarnish their popular son’s reputation. They cite the facts that their son had no gang affiliations, no police records whatsoever and to the contrary was praised as role model by teachers and all who knew him.

This two part series is to be featured on 45 cable systems and is available on DVD from the web site at www.fulldisclosure.net/. A preview of the program is also featured on the YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/FullDisclosureNetwrk.

LAPD, Feds Confused Over Illegals & Special Order 40: Exclusive Video Here (9 min)

Los Angeles, CA. — Full Disclosure Network® exposes the conflict between the Federal and State Justice systems over the “Special Order 40” policy and the names used to describe illegal immigrants, in a free video news blog.

This 9 min video is available on demand and features United States Attorney Debra Yang(2004) describing what the meaning of the word "status" is, as it relates to illegal immigrants working as security at Los Angeles International Airport.

Describing LAPD policy regarding illegal immigrants are :

LA Police Commission Presidents,

Rick Caruso (2003),

Edith Perez( 1998)

David Cunningham, III (2004)

LAPD Chief Bernard Parks (1998-2001)

INS District Director Richard Rogers. (1995)

Exclusive audiotaped messages (1998) from

Geri Ann Haslit L. A. County Superior Court and

Sandy Gibbons, Spokesperson for the L.A. County District Attorney

The video reveals the conflicts and differences of policy when using the words “undocumented, aliens, immigrants and person “out of status.”

The Full Disclosure® Video News Blog is moderated by Emmy Award winning host Leslie Dutton and demonstrates, with video clips, the dilemma faced by Federal and local law enforcement officials when implementing the “don’t-ask, don’t-tell” LAPD policy known as Special Order 40.

Video clips used in the Full Disclosure® Video News Blog were taken from full length interviews with law enforcement over the past sixteen years that have been featured on 45 cable systems and the internet website at http://www.fulldisclosure.net/

INVESTIGATION CLOUDS BRATTON REAPPOINTMENT: Watch Video (8 min)

Los Angeles, CA. -- A former TV and Radio personality who also served as a LAPD Disciplinary Hearing Officer, alleges the Police Commission is participating in a “cover up” of responsibility for the police beatings that occurred in Mac Arthur Park during the immigrant rally on May Day. FULL DISCLOSURE NETWORK® presents an eight minute Video News Blog featuring Xavier Hermosillo's remarks and in sharp contrast the comments from LAPD Police Commission President John Mack and former Police Commission President Edith Perez. The video is available for viewing on the Internet 24/7, on demand as a public service.

Here are a few highlights from the Video News Blog:

• Xavier Hermosillo, maintains the Commission used a much different process to evaluate former Chief Bernard Parks than they did with Bill Bratton and they did so out of the public eye.
• John Mack, current President of the Police Commission praises Bratton as “a man of the 21st Century”.
• Edith Perez: Former President of the Commission describes the thorough evaluation process used when considering Chief Willie Williams for re-appointment.
• Police Shootings & Beatings: Hermosillo points out major incidents that happened on Bratton’s watch, citing the Devon Brown shooting, Susie Pena shooting and the Stanley Miller flashlight beating.
• Xavier Hermosillo says that Bratton is blaming others for what should be his responsibility, citing his own phone call to NYPD where he claims they verified one hundred flashlight beating incidents in New York, while Bratton was Chief.
• Corruption, in the City of Los Angeles, is what Hermosillo says has led to the current situation and he blames Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa who has the ultimate responsibility for appointing a Chief.

VIEWERS MAY PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY BY CASTING THEIR VOTES ON THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

• Do you think the Los Angeles Police Commission merely rubberstamped Bratton’s reappointment because Mayor Villaraigosa wanted Bratton to remain as chief?
• Do you agree that Bill Bratton should serve another five year term as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department?
• Do you think it was proper to reappoint Chief Bratton while the May 1st “May Day Melee” is still under investigation?
• Why do you think the Los Angeles media has become silent after suffering abuse at the hands of the LAPD

REBUTTALS ENCOURAGED: Viewers are invited to participate by posting their comments in the section below on the video page. Known as “the news behind the news” Full Disclosure Network® cable television programs are featured on 43 cable systems and the Internet since 1992. In 2002 the Full Disclosure® special series “L. A.’s War Against Terrorism” was recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a local Emmy Award for a public affairs, informational series. Channels and airtimes can be found on the website at http://www.fulldisclosure.net/.